Nivea for Men Cool Kick 48 Hour Deodorant

Now, I don’t have a BO problem, I wash religiously, in fact it’s borderline OCD as I really do fear smelling, or the people around me thinking that I smell anything other than lovely, or of Eau De Embassy Number 1 at a push (I smoke, for shame). To keep this self-doubt in check I really do rely on good deodorants.

Throughout my youth I was a firm convert to the Sure range of deodorants for men, they knocked the spots of everything else on the market in my opinion, and to steal their own marketing slogan, Sure didn’t let me down. As I aged (badly some would say) I found myself drawn to Right Guard, and it did offer excellent protection against that dreaded problem of body odour. Despite wracking my brain, I have no idea why I decided it would be a good idea to jump into the unknown and give Nivea for Men Cool Kick 48 Hour Deodorant a go.

At £2.29 for 150ml can this really is quite cheap. I thankfully didn’t even pay that, I received a 35ml can, I think in a beauty box. 

This is what they say about the spray over on the Nivea site here:

‘NIVEA FOR MEN Cool Kick Deodorant with its cool-care formula delivers 48h confidence and antiperspirant protection keeping you fresh, dry and invigorated all day long.

It’s the perfect combination of NIVEA‘s mild care and reliable protection.’

First thing first, it smells actually rather lovely. It does have a fresh kick to it and unlike other sprays it doesn’t come across as overly artificial - and even better, it doesn’t leave white residue under your pit or down the side of your clothes, which is a blessing for me given the sheer amount of black clothes I wear (closet Goth alert). 

With claims of 48 hour protection I had very high hopes for this, but after a brisk walk to work, a bit of lifting (that would be my laptop from my bag to my desk so nothing too taxing) the fragrance had changed from being fresh to slightly warm, and musky. I started to fear the worst.

After four hours on and very little exertion in a fairly cool office I was sure I could detect a hint of BO - first thought “oh Christ no”. After another hour my self-confidence had evaporated (like the spray) and I actually had to go and buy a can of Right Guard. A quick pop into the shower room at work and boom, the confidence was back.

Not wanting to sit here and write up a scathing analysis unfairly I did try it again when off at a conference in Perth recently, but alas, in a warm conference hall it’s claimed antiperspirant were nowhere to be seen and for a good four hours I was praying for time to pass quicker so that I could get back to my guest house to shower and apply some Right Guard (as an aside, and to add some positivity to this post - if in Perth you could do a lot worse than the Clunie Guest House - lovely Adele and Hatem, the owners were so friendly, it’s very clean and reasonably priced).

Anyway, back to this excuse for a deodorant - It doesn’t last for 48 hours, eurgh, the thought of how I would reek 48 hours after applying doesn’t bear thinking about. I found that after five hours I just couldn’t get comfortable knowing that my colleagues might think that I stink, or lord, hadn’t washed properly. Yes, it’s cheap, yes it has bold claims but avoid this like the plague as it simply does not do the job. 

Buildings burn, people die, but my hatred for this product will last forever!*

AVOID AT ALL COSTS

*this may have been adapted from the closing line of one of my favourite films, The Crow.

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Purifying Face Wash for Skin & Stubble by L'Oreal Men Expert

I have always wondered whether face scrub actually does anything to soften my grizzly stubble as it slowly turns into a scraggly beard! I can’t say I’d ever noticed a great difference until I started to use beard oils, so after moaning about the lack of male grooming advent calendars (gents, there are loads for women but not none for us), Mankind, those lovely purveyors of all things for male grooming sent me a sort of consolation package which included Purifying Face Wash for Skin & Stubble by L‘Oreal.

Result! Thanks guys, when you said goodies, I didn’t expect a much needed aid package for my face!

Even at first glance this had me chuckling - on the rear the first things are “Feeling Dirty? Feeling Rough?” - erm, yeah, that’s me every day….

A 150ml tube of this face wash from the L’Oreal Men Expert range costs £6.35. 

This is what the product claims to do:

‘Eliminates impurities, skin instantly feels refreshed and energised and no feeling of tightness in the skin.
For Your Stubble, it eliminates dirt & pollution from stubble and beard area, and conditions and softens the feel of facial hair’

So, with a filthy mind (I mean face) and feeling extra rough I took my face, stubble and half asleep body into the bathroom to give this a try as soon as it arrived. It was the shiny tube that drew my eye and meant it got first dibs in the testing stakes.

God it smells gorgeous, it has the familiar aroma of the Men Expert range but it is far stronger on the nose, it’s like someone has rammed some Aloe Vera up your hooter (in a nice way). Unlike other face washes however, once it comes into contact with warm water it doesn’t get any stronger and any fears of it masking or lingering on the skin and stubble proved unfounded (I even got the other half to give it a whiff after rinsing to see if it had lingered - it hadn‘t).

The pale blue face wash isn’t that thick in texture which I found rather surprising, but that didn’t hold me back. A quick rinse of the face, a good blob of it in my hands and away I went. After closing my eyes and rubbing away for what seemed like an age I could tell that this had lathered up, the bubbles were really evident as I gingerly opened my eyes. It had covered my face, had turned a bright white (strange) and it seemed to be slightly absorbed as I stared vacantly at myself in the mirror! 

After rinsing the face wash off I was rather sickened by the colour of the water - a very murky colour that made me feel slightly ashamed, even though I’d been out of the razz for a good ten hours the night before. 

It says it shifts impurities - well, I haven’t got any litmus paper to test the Ph levels, but boy it shifted the build up of dirt and pollution that comes from living in filthy London. So, massive tick in the box that says ‘does this face wash actually wash’.

But, that was day one, I was particularly interested in the softening effect - did I notice anything on day two, three or four? Erm…….nope. It wasn’t until day five when the other half commented that the bristles were getting long but felt much softer that it dawned on me - I’d had a stroke and had lost the feeling in my hands…..(I jest and before you all get some mock outrage there is serious information about Stroke prevention here), I just couldn’t tell the difference, but I’m assured that my stubble and eventually beard was softer to the touch.

The Men Expert range for L’Oreal was in my opinion the first product that made me think seriously about how I look after my skin, and this is a lovely addition to the range. It’s affordable, lasts for ages, has a great smell, removes grime from the face and has the added bonus of softening my stubble and beard. 

At these prices, and based on the results I would recommend this as a staple for every bathroom. 

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Tigi’s Mini Bed Head Manipulator

A funky gunk that rocks! - that is what Tigi’s Bed Head Manipulator cries out as soon as you remove the lid, but is it funky, is it gunky and will it actually manage to keep my hair in place in the face of gale force winds on a trip to the South Bank in the name of cultural enlightenment.

At £3.74 for a 30g tub it looks tiny, but hey, good things come in small packages (sometimes). This does seem incredibly cheap for a hair styling product that claims to do all sorts of things! This came in a beauty box some months ago and the missus ignored it like an elderly relative in a care home so I stole it and gave it a try. 

This is what they say about it over at the Tigi website here:

‘Be a Master Manipulator. Get whacked-out hair – spike, twist dreads or go punky. More mainstream? Get body and texture.

Support factor: 3
Texture factor: 5
Separated & textured with a matte finish
Pliable, supportive & long-lasting
Good for any hair length or texture
Separates & smoothes fly-aways.’

First of all, being whacked out means something completely different to me! It usually involves heavy nights out and waking up under a trampoline, falling down stairs or just simply forgetting which city I’m in (I kid you not). As for being a master manipulator, well, I don’t need any help with that thanks Tigi. Anyhow, once again I digress! 

This has a lovely aroma to it, I say it has the smell of fresh apples, whereas my other half suggested it had a tropical hint to the notes. Either way, I think it smells delightful and doesn’t have any hint of chemical undertones to it, so no chance of being accused of smelling plastic. 

Once you’ve stuck your fingers in you get that gunky feeling (just take a look at the picture below), it’s like a thick pliable goo on your fingertips, but actually, once spread across the palms and applied to hair it soaks in really well, absorbed into each and every strand it comes close to. Great stuff.

Now, the big thing - can you style with something that it so gooey and gunky? Well yes, actually I think it’s a breeze. On short styles it is fantastic and makes hair so pliable you can style anything, and I mean anything. At Halloween I styles a pair of devil horns (which I thought looked great) but as I was going out for a serious dinner with colleagues from work had to take out (booooo). On longer styles it doesn’t lose any of its appeal at all, and I like this when going for my ‘cable thief’ style (it looks like I’ve been electrocuted when trying to steal some copper cable). 

I’ve added in a photograph of my hair styled using this to help you get an idea of what it is capable of - and to save me having to describe it to the Nth degree (lazy, yes I know). 

Me, being a bit of a tool in Perth on Halloween.....

It dries quickly, sets firm, but hair retains the ability to be restyled. As I’ve said, I styled horns but didn’t have to go and wash it out and start again. I simply used my palm to flatten my hair and then whoosh, with a flick across the top the spikes were back. Brilliant. 

Fiddly as f*** to apply, but the results are simply too good to cast this aside and say “sod it”. I like the fragrance, it’s so refreshing first thing in the morning. It also appeals to the inner (many would say outer) child in me as it is gunky but by far and away the best thing, thankfully (otherwise it would be getting panned) is the hold. It isn’t going to hold massive spikes in place but on shorter styles it looks as though it has a wet finish for a few hours and then actually develops a matte look finish and for me, that makes it look as though my hair is staying in place naturally - excellent (said in a Mr Burns voice). 

Yes, yes it is a funky gunk that rocks - and a product I will be keeping for when I need to style some extreme spikes.

RECOMMENDED

If you want to pick this up cheap, I would suggest you head over to ASOS here where it is currently available for the price above. 

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Movember 2015

The hairiest month of the year has arrived and the term 'Movember' is one that you will see banded about all over the place and as well as being quite fun, there is a serious side to it and one that we should all take a moment to reflect on. 

The Movember Foundation is a global charity that is committed to men living happier, healthier, longer lives. Since 2003, millions have joined the men’s health movement, raising £402 million and funding over 1,000 programmes focusing on prostate cancer, testicular cancer, poor mental health and physical inactivity.

In order to raise awareness, social media plays a huge role and the idea is that for 30 days you begin to grow 'your Mo' and as it grows, you take photos and post them on social media. So in an effort to play my part, on the very last day of the month, much to the horror of my wife, I shaved off my facial hair with a helping hand from the following products:

Crabtree & Evelyn Moroccan Myrrh Shave Soap. - This I absolutely loved and you can read about it HERE. It is worth noting that Crabtree & Evelyn are partnering with Movember for the month of November and will be offering a £1 donation on each product purchase across our men’s ranges.

As the beard and 'Mo' begin to grow, Mankind have a range of products which help keep the itching at bay and the hair soft and smooth rather than wild and grizzly. It's well worth popping over to their site this month (November!) as they are also running a social competition, offering weekly prizes for the best progress photos. To enter all you need to do is upload your photo to twitter and tag @mankindcouk and include the hashtag #MKMOVEMBER.

In addition, throughout November, Mankind will be offering 3 for 2 on beard and moustache products so well worth checking out their site.

But, should you choose to shave it all off, or just to remove the beard to show off the moustache I have to say, you could do a lot worse than checking out the huge range from Rehab London. I have already sung the praises of their shave oil here, but combined with Calm Balm and you have one of the most pain and hassle free shaves going. In fact, apart from getting shaved professionally, I'm yet to experience such few problems like razor bumps, burn and rash after using them.

What will you be doing for Movember? 

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Beauty Christmas Crackers for Men!

After being slightly disappointed with the lack of beauty advent calendars for us blokes (again) I thought I would see if this was a trend across all Christmas related beauty thangs to see if we had been totally left out. Result gentlemen, there are some treats for us in the form of beauty crackers:

Cowshed Bullocks Men's Christmas Cracker £10 here - The Bullocks cracker includes a bracing body wash and 2-in-1 shampoo & conditioner for refreshing and purifying shower experience courtesy of the shed. Cowshed's products are natural and made in the UK.

Weleda Men's Moisture Cracker £9.45 here. This cracker contains a 30ml tube of Men’s Moisture Cream. Perfect for indulging friends and family, for Christmas table, tree decorations or even secret Santa. Weleda Moisture Cream for Men is a light and fluid cream that quickly penetrates the skin so that it becomes elastic, smooth and supple. 

Molton Brown's Re-Charge Black Pepper Cracker £20 here.  This cracker comprises a trio of skincare treats for men which are Ultra-light Bai Ji Hydrator (30ml), Black Peppercorn Body Wash (50ml) and Black Peppercorn Nourishing Body Lotion (50ml). Personally I love the body wash and raved about it here.

Scaramouche & Fandango Men's Christmas Cracker £15.00 here. This cracker Contains their popular face scrub (100ml) and you can read my full review here and the hydrator (100ml) and you can read my view review of this here.

Pricey they are, but I think worth it as a once a year quirky thing. 

These would make great little ice breakers around the Christmas table if bringing together families, or even better, a nice way to tell a male relative that they need to do something about their own personal grooming! I’m going to be investing in some for Christmas this year, just so I can try out some of the products.

It’s nice to finally see the staple of the female beauty world being converted so us guys are not left out.

Do you think you will have any of these crackers?

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Winter Footwear Trends For 15/16

Sling the sandals back in the loft where they belong, winter is well and truly here. You might have already stocked up on this season’s key pieces: the elegant checked shirts, the cozy shearling coats, the effortlessly cool roll-necks, the smart straight-legged trousers. Tie your on-trend ensemble together with the right shoe - this winter, we’ve got you covered.

Trainers
For fitness fans or a casual day, trainers are never not in fashion. Keep them just right for everyday with some skate shoes, perfect with jeans and a jumper when you’re out and about. Alternatively, for a more smart/casual vibe, retro styles are coming back, inspired by the Adidas Originals Stan Smiths, with leather or suede completing the 1970s throwback feel. Retro trainers work equally well with joggers as they do with a smart tailored suit, while keeping you comfy.

Brogues
This season is all about androgynous silhouettes, which means that brogues are back in style. Clunky slip-ons are out, so opt instead for a smooth, streamlined leather with laces. Don’t be afraid to play with colour - earthy tones are in, so accessorize a monochrome black or grey outfit with burgundy or even rich blue brogues to offset your look. Different colours can allow perforated leather designs to really stand out, giving an otherwise plain combo some edge, or stick to a simple black to showcase snazzy socks.

Chelsea Boots
With the vintage throwback characterising the season, a pair of 1960s inspired Chelsea Boots are just the thing to bring an outfit together. They work best with skinny jeans or chinos and look effortlessly cool - opt for black leather to match every outfit, or unleash your wild side. Play with different textures like suede, snakeskin, or even velvet to add a subtle contrast to an outfit. Fancy yourself more of an Indiana Jones than a Beatle? Choose a rich mahogany shade that’s timeless and goes with any outfit - just remember to match your belt.

Hiking Boots
The ultimate shoe for rainy days, snowy days, or general wintery walks, hiking boots are making a big comeback this year. Gone or the clunky tourist styles, as designers attempt to cash in on more luxurious styles. Match them to a shearling jacket for snuggly feet on a cold day, or choose a classic military style with longer laces and a mottled leather upper for effortless styling choices, whether you’re in or out of the wilderness.

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